Alternate Energy
SOLAR | OFF-GRID | BATTERIES | DESIGN | GENERATORS | more…
HOT WATER From Alternative Energy Without The Grid
How would you get hot water without the electric grid? You might consider any of these methods…
Recommended Battery For Alternative Energy Systems
Deciding which type of battery to use for alternative energy is important. It can be expensive. So do your research first! Here’s a quick battery overview.
What Size Charge Controller Do I Need For Solar Panels?
Charge controller sizing for solar panels, watts & amps, how to do it, where it fits in the system, and what it does – what it’s there for…
Solar AA Battery Charger | 2 Good Choices
I review two good choices for a solar battery charger aa size (and more). One is a standalone unit. The other, folding solar panel & charger unit.
Battery State-Of-Charge Chart | 12 Volt Battery Voltage & Specific Gravity
A chart of battery voltage versus State Of Charge, SOC, percentage and Specific Gravity for 6, 12, 24, and 48 volt battery banks.
Solar Battery Chemistry Comparison Chart | Best For Off-Grid?
Comparing Lithium Iron, Nickel Iron, and Lead Acid batteries for Off-Grid energy storage. Chart reveals important factors to consider when choosing.
Do-It-Yourself Olive Oil Lamp
Instructions how to make your own Olive Oil Lamp using a coat-hanger wire, wick, and a canning jar.
Candles For Preparedness | Cost Per Hour To Burn
Here are the lowest cost candles for preparedness – cost per hour comparison of Tea light, Votive, Taper, and Pillar style.
Grid-Tied Solar Systems Don’t Work Well When The Grid Is Down
Here’s why most grid-tied solar systems don’t work when the electric grid goes down. Many are surprised to discover this.
8 Advantages of Lithium-ion Batteries for Off-Grid Energy
The advantages of Lithium-ion batteries for solar powered Off-Grid energy systems are tempting! The Iron Edison Design Team lists 8 reasons to consider.
Nickel Iron Battery Off Grid Energy Storage | Last One You’ll Ever Need
30 year life, 80% depth-of-discharge, wide operating temperature environment, low maintenance, other factors, translates much lower costs than lead acid!
Energy Consumption Per Home | All 50 States (kWh / month / day) | Off-Grid Design
List of all 50 states and their average energy consumption per home. It’s a good basis to start from for off-grid alternative energy system design.
Hot Water Heater Temperature | What’s Right & Why
Many people think 120 F is the best hot water heater temperature. No, it’s not. Here’s why, what it should be, and how to get best of both worlds…
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Specs | Cycle Life vs. Depth of Discharge
These batteries can last nearly 40 years! You seemingly can’t beat this for Off-Grid energy storage…
New Lithium Battery at Iron Edison | Lower Cost of Ownership
The 4th generation 4LiFe lithium iron battery from Iron Edison is a breakthrough technology for lower cost of ownership for off grid battery bank storage.
Solar Power System Diagram | 4 Basic Building Blocks
Solar panel, Charge controller, Battery bank, and Inverter.
‘Kill A Watt Meter’ — How to Measure Power Consumption (kWh)
The 'Kill A Watt' meter measures kilowatts and kilowatt hours. Read on... It is necessary to know or measure the power consumption of your devices and appliances before an alternative energy system is put in place. You need to understand the energy requirements. Are...
Solar Energy Systems – Electricity, Hot Water, Cooking
I originally wrote this back in 2012. I came across it recently, and liked it. So I'm republishing it for general information. Solar Energy Conversion It all starts by converting a single energy unit from the sun. A photon (a particle that carries...
Solar Panels per Household in a Perfect World
How Much Energy Consumption per Household - Residential customers in the United States (132.58 million) directly consumed 1,378.6 TWh (Terawatt hours) of electricity in 2017. Source: electricity consumption data is based upon data mined from US DOE Energy Information...
EMP Hardened Solar Generator by Sol-Ark
The Sol-Ark solar generator (solar power inverter system) is EMP hardened. Not just EMP resistant - it's actually EMP Hardened! Why is this important? Electromagnetic pulse is not science fiction. It has become a real potential threat in today's technological world....
Alternative Energy for Preparedness or Off Grid Living
Alternative Energy. Alternative to what? For this post the context will be alternative energy for 'getting things done' that ordinarily rely upon the electrical power grid. Solar Energy Solar energy for electricity Harnessing the sun's energy with Solar 'photo...
Can You Heat Your House Even If The Electricity Is Not Working?
At the time of this writing, winter is approaching. It's a time when I'm thinking about buttoning up outdoor projects and transitioning my thought process to life during the winter months. PREPARING FOR WINTER Swapping out my summer & fall clothes and jackets for...
The Four Essentials Of Off Grid Solar
An off-grid solar (photo-voltaic) electric power system is an ideal prep that can partially or totally relinquish you from dependence upon other systems (the electrical power grid), which themselves are vulnerable to disruption or breakdown. Off-grid systems also...
How Do Solar Ovens Work
The answer may sound pretty basic, because it is! And because of the relative simplicity, you could even make one yourself. How about some lifestyle and preparedness for the outdoor kitchen? A solar oven is a great way to harness free energy to get the job done. So,...
Lithium Iron Battery For Solar Off-Grid Alternative Energy Systems
The Lithium Iron battery from Iron Edison has significant advantages for solar panel alternative energy storage. Consider these benefits over Lead Acid: 1. SAFE. Unlike lithium-ion 'cobalt' batteries that you may have heard about (catching fire in laptops, mobile...
Selecting The Right Cable Size For Your Battery Bank
Are you putting together a battery bank for an alternative energy system? If you are, then you might be thinking about the size of interconnecting cables between the batteries themselves and the charger / inverter. How big should the cables be? What size? More...
Solar Power and Energy Requirements – How To Calculate Your Needs
(time to sweep the solar panels) When doing any sort of design or even "back of the envelope" calculations for alternative energy systems (e.g. solar), among the important factors to consider are these: Solar Power and Energy requirements. - Power equals watts....
Improve Fireplace Heat Efficiency With a Fireback
A Fireback improve fireplace efficiency. Fireplaces are not very heat efficient compared to other sources of home heating. Who can resist though a nice fire in the fireplace! Unfortunately lots of heat is wasted as it goes right up the chimney. One way to improve the...
Chimney Fire: Wood Stove & Fireplace Safety
Have you ever seen a Chimney Fire or Flue Fire? Guest article, by ‘NRP’ I watched as my neighbor in CA burned his home down, the Flue Pipe glowing bright red above the roof line, the flames shooting out the pipe like a Blow Torch and the home in ashes within 20...
Firewood For Heating – List of the Most Popular Wood for Burning
Awhile ago we conducted a reader poll asking what wood people burned in their stove for winter heating. There's quite a variety of wood species across the nation and chances are that you're burning firewood that's native to your region. Some time ago I did some...
The Advantages Of AGM Sealed Batteries For Your RV Or Off-Grid
Sealed batteries, particularly the AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) battery, is becoming increasingly popular for off-grid applications and have always been preferred in RV or trailer applications due to their safety attributes. The AGM battery is a lead acid battery, but...
A Solar Energy System That Works At Night
Solar energy is power from the sun. But what about power during the night? Here's how it's done: Batteries! Solar energy is radiant energy collected from the sun. Not only can it be harnessed and converted immediately to household electricity, but it can also...
Alternative Energy Battery Type 101
Many of the batteries used in alternative-energy 'off-grid' solar powered systems are Lead-Acid type batteries. Even after over a century of use, they still offer the best price to power ratio. ALL of the batteries commonly used in deep cycle applications are...